Amazing company to work for. Intelliware Systems management and staff display a genuine concern for its employees. They foster an environment that reminds employees that they are an important member of the company.

Exceptionally low pay along with stingy policies and benefits. High turnover.

Advice to Management

I worked for this company on a high visibility project, with one hundred percent of my time billing at the client site. As other reviewers have reported here, it’s true that everyone at Intelliware is civil, approachable, and responsive, but that can never make up for the pitiful salaries they offer along with murky incentives. I left this company headed to a job that is paying me considerably money; no one in the Intelliware senior ranks ever counter-offered to try and retain me. They boast of offering serious referral bonuses to employees who refer new people in; the catch is that the new hire must work there for at least three months before the referrer receives the incentive because staff turnover is so high. They sometimes offer recruitment hiring bonuses directly to new employees but retract them if the person leaves within one year. They claim (see their website) to be “different” than other federal contractors. But at the end of the day they are no different than any of the thousands of small businesses jockeying for meager one year and occasional longer contracts offered by the federal government. The company is merely emblematic of an insidious trend in the federal contracting space: excessively low bidding on important and critical work. This trend is one where people are a commodity, turnover is rabid, real skills aren’t valued, the client is never wrong, and the profit margins razor thin. I hear variations on all of the above again and again from friends and colleagues who, for one reason or another, end up having to work for one of these low bid, low pay, high turnover federal contractors. Of course, people need jobs, have families to support, pay mortgages, and sometimes have to take whatever work they can get. But low bid is not a sustainable business model if the US government wants to succeed, because bargain basement consulting always fails. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

First, we want to thank you for your contributions at IntelliWare. As you mentioned, we do pride ourselves on being approachable and responsive, so we’re sorry to learn of your perception and the feelings you had when you left us.

I work hard with my team to ensure our policies aren’t surprises to employees, so we’re disappointed to hear you felt like there was a catch to our referral policy. It’s true that we give significant financial bonuses to employees for referrals (we believe great people know other great people), and we do our best to clearly communicate the referral policy through our in-person orientation, online Employee Handbook, and new employee lunches.

As you mentioned, the contracting industry is becoming increasingly competitive, due in part to a heavy demand for contracted workers as well as the clearance backlog. We don’t control those pressures; we can only plan for and react to them as best we can, and I am committed to always doing so with integrity. This is why we strive to create a culture and company that is different, one that accounts for all aspects of our employee’s life: education, wellness, commuting, professional growth, giving back to the community, and pay. I firmly believe our employees are our most important asset, and I am committed to always improving this company for them.

Again, we want to thank you for your contributions at IntelliWare, as well as your feedback, and we wish you the very best in your new role.... MoreLess

I have been working at Intelliware Systems full-time (More than a year)

Pros

Company has the right approach to business and hears the voice of their customers and employees. Employees are given the tools to succeed. Opportunity for advancement through a robust performance review process.

I have been working at Intelliware Systems full-time (Less than a year)

Pros

Very responsive team that leans in to you as an employee. I've never worked with such a group that is so thoughtful with business decisions and internal operations. Incredibly thorough group of people as well, happy to be surrounded by this group that does such quality work.

Cons

No cons to think of. Very pleasant company to be a part of.

Advice to Management

Keep doing the right things right, we appreciate the work you do and are happy to be a part of the operation.

Working in the DC area generally means you either work for the government or as a contractor for it. With a lot of other contracting companies, it is easy to feel like just a number with no sense of attachment to the main office that's paying and managing you. IntelliWare services several different government agencies but manages to foster a real relationship with each contractor, even if we work at a distance on site. The benefits have been really great and there's a lot of support and assistance from the home office. It's a great place to work with a great group of people.

Cons

There really aren't any complaints. Pay can feel on the lower side but that seems to be an issue with the DMW area when compared to other cities.

I have been working at Intelliware Systems full-time (More than 3 years)

Pros

- Corporate leadership is extremely accessible - only an email/phone call away if you don't work at the home office. The CEO and COO know everyone by name and are extremely personable.- Excellent benefits & compensation, as well as home office staff. Any time I call or email the home office (HR, Finance) with a question, they respond immediately with detailed information. There are never any bumps in the road.- Company growth is stable, and the company is really great at making sure that corporate functions are scalable and can accommodate the rate of growth.- There is lots of opportunity for company growth. Most of the work is in the same government sector but the skillsets are easily translatable to other sectors -- and the company has a great reputation with the clients that they have worked with for several years.- Outstanding culture -- you are always treated as part of the family rather than a billable position. The home office plans (and encourages accounts to plan) fun and seasonally appropriate activities outside of work that are generously inclusive of families and significant others. Also, they demonstrably place a high value charitable giving and employee wellness.

Cons

- Since the company is steadily growing, employees have to be prepared for a certain amount of change every year, i.e. in benefits plans and technology tools.

I have been working at Intelliware Systems full-time (More than a year)

Pros

IntelliWare Systems is by far the best contracting company I have ever worked for/heard of. The executives truly care about their employees and support individual growth. The company is the perfect size, large enough to have room to grow but small enough to have a "small company" feel.